According to Netflix's latest announcement, the Korean drama "When the phone rings" climbed to the top 2 of the most watched non-English TV shows last week on Netflix globally.
The film recorded 6.6 million views, only 100,000 views less than the first place, and ranked No. 1 in 30 regions including Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela...
"When the Phone Rings" is produced based on the online novel of the same name but some details have been changed compared to the original story.
The drama revolves around the arranged marriage of the youngest Blue House spokesperson Baek Sa Eon (Yoo Yeon Seok) and mute sign language interpreter Hong Hee Joo (Chae Soo Bin). Their estranged relationship of three years begins to change after Baek Sa Eon receives a threatening call from a man who kidnapped his wife.
As soon as the first episodes were aired, “When the Phone Rings” became a hit. The male lead character Baek Sa Eon made female viewers “crazy” because of his domineering, cold actions but in reality, he was full of warmth and care for his wife.
Fans of the drama have listed the value of the luxury items that Hong Hee Joo uses, showing how much Baek Se Eon loves his wife. On the surface, Baek Se Eon says that Hong Hee Joo is just a “replacement” for his sister. But he always gives her the best.
He wears a Breitling watch worth 275 million VND, while he bought his wife an Omega watch worth more than 630 million VND. He wears Christian Louboutin shoes worth 25 million VND, and his wife wears Roger Vivier shoes worth 55 million VND.
Even the wedding rings have a big difference, Se Eon's ring is about 35 million VND, while his wife's diamond ring is about 200 million VND.
In the house, Baek Se Eon only chose a small bedroom, similar to a guest bedroom, and gave his wife a large bedroom, fully equipped with a king-sized bed, dressing room, separate table and chairs, and a spacious balcony...
What makes Baek Se Eon even more attractive is that this character's image and personality have been changed compared to the original novel.
In the movie, Baek Se Eon is no longer a man who forces his wife to do as he pleases. He always respects Hong Hee Joo and is afraid of her being hurt. Se Eon also shows a calmer, more manly side, no longer arrogant but always polite to those around him.
In the novel, Baek Se Eon forced a kiss on Hong Hee Joo to make her cry. But in the film, the scene where Se Eon was surprised and moved when he first heard his wife cry left a strong impression.
In the latest trailer for episode 5, Hong Hee Joo proactively called Baek Se Eon's name when she saw him in danger and about to be hit by a car. This scene is completely not in the original novel.
The new developments added to “When the Phone Rings” make the movie even more anticipated.
